Damn the September international break.
The two-week stoppage always comes immediately after the summer transfer window shuts, which brings two points of frustration:
• You have to wait two weeks to see your team’s last-minute signings in action.
• You have to hope none of them get injured while they’re off with their respective national teams.
• You have to hope none of them get injured while they’re off with their respective national teams.
As usual, purchase and sale records were shattered in most of Europe’s big five leagues. Here’s a breakdown of who walked away happy, and who might have to open up the chequebook again in January.
THE WINNERS
MANCHESTER CITY
Acquired: Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Patrick Roberts, Nicolas Otamendi
When Sheikh Mansour reportedly talked Yaya Toure into sticking around, everyone presumed City would tweak its roster and save a major overhaul for next season. Funny story: not so much. Here were the complaints about City’s squad before the window opened: too old, no depth at centre back. Roberts, Sterling, de Bruyne and Delph range from 18 to 25 years old. Otamendi was one of the premier centre backs in any league last season. City is 4-0-0, hasn’t allowed a goal, and de Bruyne hasn’t even played a game yet.
Acquired: Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Patrick Roberts, Nicolas Otamendi
When Sheikh Mansour reportedly talked Yaya Toure into sticking around, everyone presumed City would tweak its roster and save a major overhaul for next season. Funny story: not so much. Here were the complaints about City’s squad before the window opened: too old, no depth at centre back. Roberts, Sterling, de Bruyne and Delph range from 18 to 25 years old. Otamendi was one of the premier centre backs in any league last season. City is 4-0-0, hasn’t allowed a goal, and de Bruyne hasn’t even played a game yet.
JUVENTUS
Acquired: Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic, Simone Zaza, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Sami Khedira, Juan Cuadrado, Neto
Juventus’s early season woes are mostly a symptom of its sick bay, not its excellent haul in the transfer market. Losing Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez was hardly ideal, but the Italian giants made up for it by scoring some of the most coveted names on the market, including speedy Argentine prospect Dybala and Brazilian left fullback Sandro. Manager Massimiliano Allegri’s biggest task? Turning Cuadrado back into the player he was before he joined Chelsea.
Acquired: Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic, Simone Zaza, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Sami Khedira, Juan Cuadrado, Neto
Juventus’s early season woes are mostly a symptom of its sick bay, not its excellent haul in the transfer market. Losing Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez was hardly ideal, but the Italian giants made up for it by scoring some of the most coveted names on the market, including speedy Argentine prospect Dybala and Brazilian left fullback Sandro. Manager Massimiliano Allegri’s biggest task? Turning Cuadrado back into the player he was before he joined Chelsea.
INTER MILAN
Acquired: Stevan Jovetic, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Ivan Perisic, Joao Miranda, Martin Montoya
As long as Jovetic can stay healthy, he’s a much better fit in Serie A than he was in the Premier League, as evidenced by a disastrous two-year stretch at City. Three goals in Inter’s first two Serie A games would suggest the Montenegrin is on his way back. It’s a miracle Kondogbia didn’t wind up at Real Madrid or City or Chelsea or any of Europe’s few massive clubs, but even more amazing he wound up at Inter after a deal with bitter rivals AC Milan was nearly done and dusted. Inter look like a good bet to return to Champions League play after a few years in the wilderness.
Acquired: Stevan Jovetic, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Ivan Perisic, Joao Miranda, Martin Montoya
As long as Jovetic can stay healthy, he’s a much better fit in Serie A than he was in the Premier League, as evidenced by a disastrous two-year stretch at City. Three goals in Inter’s first two Serie A games would suggest the Montenegrin is on his way back. It’s a miracle Kondogbia didn’t wind up at Real Madrid or City or Chelsea or any of Europe’s few massive clubs, but even more amazing he wound up at Inter after a deal with bitter rivals AC Milan was nearly done and dusted. Inter look like a good bet to return to Champions League play after a few years in the wilderness.
LIVERPOOL
Acquired: Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne
Last summer the team sold Luis Suarez and brought back an insanely expensive pile of question marks and duds (minus Emre Can). This summer was reserved for sure (or surer) things. All four names listed above have impressed in leading roles at higher levels than, say, Lazar Markovic. And they’re a lot younger than Rickie Lambert. There are still a lot of issues at Anfield, but some serious needs were addressed in a big way.
Acquired: Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne
Last summer the team sold Luis Suarez and brought back an insanely expensive pile of question marks and duds (minus Emre Can). This summer was reserved for sure (or surer) things. All four names listed above have impressed in leading roles at higher levels than, say, Lazar Markovic. And they’re a lot younger than Rickie Lambert. There are still a lot of issues at Anfield, but some serious needs were addressed in a big way.
ATLETICO MADRID
Acquired: Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Felipe Luis, Stefan Savic
Good players go from Porto to Atletico, turn into great players, and then get sold at huge profit. Vietto, Carrasco and Angel Correa are the next wave. And Martinez is pretty great, too.
Acquired: Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, Felipe Luis, Stefan Savic
Good players go from Porto to Atletico, turn into great players, and then get sold at huge profit. Vietto, Carrasco and Angel Correa are the next wave. And Martinez is pretty great, too.
THE LOSERS
REAL MADRID
Acquired: Mateo Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro, Kiko Casilla
If you’re Florentino Perez, you have one job, which is to be Florentino Perez. The idea here is that Perez typically gets what Perez wants. All signs would indicate, however, that his peak days of influence are ending. Two years ago he was outmaneuvered by Barcelona for Neymar and outplayed by Daniel Levy in the Gareth Bale transfer saga. This year, he sought one Galactico: Manchester United’s David De Gea. Unwilling to be cowed into paying a record fee for a ‘keeper he could have free next summer, Perez waited until deadline day to even submit a formal offer. It was accepted, but Real’s pursuit was felled somewhere between a mountain of paperwork and a fax machine. So, De Gea stays at United and the Red Devils have at least six months to convince him not to join the Spanish giants. And Madrid has to mend fences with Keylor Navas, who went from seeing red, to wearing red to seeing it all over again. If the rest of the summer was conservative but useful, deadline day could have been Perez’s Waterloo.
Acquired: Mateo Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro, Kiko Casilla
If you’re Florentino Perez, you have one job, which is to be Florentino Perez. The idea here is that Perez typically gets what Perez wants. All signs would indicate, however, that his peak days of influence are ending. Two years ago he was outmaneuvered by Barcelona for Neymar and outplayed by Daniel Levy in the Gareth Bale transfer saga. This year, he sought one Galactico: Manchester United’s David De Gea. Unwilling to be cowed into paying a record fee for a ‘keeper he could have free next summer, Perez waited until deadline day to even submit a formal offer. It was accepted, but Real’s pursuit was felled somewhere between a mountain of paperwork and a fax machine. So, De Gea stays at United and the Red Devils have at least six months to convince him not to join the Spanish giants. And Madrid has to mend fences with Keylor Navas, who went from seeing red, to wearing red to seeing it all over again. If the rest of the summer was conservative but useful, deadline day could have been Perez’s Waterloo.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Acquired: Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian
Speaking of United, Ed Woodward’s summer could be summed up in a single phrase: what in the hell? Depay, Schneiderlin and Darmian were fine signings, but you can throw a lot of question marks at the rest, most of all Martial. The former AS Monaco teenager is a great prospect, but £36-million isn’t a price you pay for potential, it’s a desperation move you said you weren’t going to make. Elsewhere, Schweinsteiger’s best days are behind him and the idea that he’ll take starts away from Ander Herrera or Michael Carrick is pure Louis Van Gaal weirdness. And let’s not even get started on the reports that they could have had Marco Reus but the price tag was too high. For United. Too high for United. Sorry, my brain broke while writing those words.
Acquired: Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian
Speaking of United, Ed Woodward’s summer could be summed up in a single phrase: what in the hell? Depay, Schneiderlin and Darmian were fine signings, but you can throw a lot of question marks at the rest, most of all Martial. The former AS Monaco teenager is a great prospect, but £36-million isn’t a price you pay for potential, it’s a desperation move you said you weren’t going to make. Elsewhere, Schweinsteiger’s best days are behind him and the idea that he’ll take starts away from Ander Herrera or Michael Carrick is pure Louis Van Gaal weirdness. And let’s not even get started on the reports that they could have had Marco Reus but the price tag was too high. For United. Too high for United. Sorry, my brain broke while writing those words.
ARSENAL
Acquired: Petr Cech
Here’s a fun stat: Arsenal sold or loaned 15 players during the transfer window and they bought Petr Cech. That’s it. One player. And it’s highly debatable if they even needed to replace Wojciech Szczesny. The Gunners remain extraordinarily thin at striker and Arsene Wenger’s inability to address the issue will haunt him. But hey, Arsenal was a title challenger last season. Unlike…
Acquired: Petr Cech
Here’s a fun stat: Arsenal sold or loaned 15 players during the transfer window and they bought Petr Cech. That’s it. One player. And it’s highly debatable if they even needed to replace Wojciech Szczesny. The Gunners remain extraordinarily thin at striker and Arsene Wenger’s inability to address the issue will haunt him. But hey, Arsenal was a title challenger last season. Unlike…
TOTTENHAM
Acquired: Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld
It’s just incredible that Daniel Levy looked at his talented but wildly inconsistent club and said, “Yes, more of this.” Son Heung-min at least gives Tottenham a little bit of flexibility at striker (and some insurance should anything happen to Harry Kane). Seriously, though, “more of the same” was the last thing Spurs needed this season.
Acquired: Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld
It’s just incredible that Daniel Levy looked at his talented but wildly inconsistent club and said, “Yes, more of this.” Son Heung-min at least gives Tottenham a little bit of flexibility at striker (and some insurance should anything happen to Harry Kane). Seriously, though, “more of the same” was the last thing Spurs needed this season.
AC MILAN
Acquired: Mario Balotelli, Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano, Alessio Romagnoli
Another summer of head-scratching decisions for the Rossoneri. It’s not like Balotelli wasn’t going to find a team after his Liverpool exodus, but you’d think it wouldn’t be the one he flamed out of before his move to Anfield. The bigger question is, why pick up Balo in the same summer as Bacca and Adriano? The rest of the squad—save wildly expensive 20-year-old centre back Romagnoli—is virtually untouched. Reminder: AC Milan finished 10th last season.
Acquired: Mario Balotelli, Carlos Bacca, Luiz Adriano, Alessio Romagnoli
Another summer of head-scratching decisions for the Rossoneri. It’s not like Balotelli wasn’t going to find a team after his Liverpool exodus, but you’d think it wouldn’t be the one he flamed out of before his move to Anfield. The bigger question is, why pick up Balo in the same summer as Bacca and Adriano? The rest of the squad—save wildly expensive 20-year-old centre back Romagnoli—is virtually untouched. Reminder: AC Milan finished 10th last season.
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